Gilbert Burns (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and Belal Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) square off in Saturday’s UFC 288 co-headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in what is expected to be a No. 1 contender bout at welterweight.
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Gilbert Burns is preparing for his third bout of the year only five months into 2023. Despite being promised a backup role in the expected UFC welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington, which would eventually lead to a title shot, Burns accepted a fight against fellow contender Belal Muhammad.
The two will clash on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 288, which takes place at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey. Following the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+, the main card airs on pay-per-view. Burns (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) appeared to have every motivation to wait for his shot at the championship, with the backing of UFC president Dana White and only a few of weeks’ notice to face a surging challenger. Nonetheless, he chose to fight.
He explained, why he is fighting Muhammad. “Leon Edwards gave an interview saying he’s injured, and he’s not looking to fight right now and just fight in October, and that’s when the first time I said, ‘OK, I have to fight,’” Burns told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Wednesday’s UFC 288 media day when asked about the reason he accepted the fight against Muhammad. “Then a couple of days after, I saw Charles Oliveira pulled out (of UFC 288), and I saw an opportunity there, but I was just thinking, ‘Who?’”
READ MORE: UFC 288 predictions
Burns requested Covington but was told it wasn’t an option because White had already established that Covington was the next in line for the championship. That’s when the UFC came up with something else that piqued Burn’s interest.
“Sean Shelby hit me up and said, ‘We don’t have Colby. He’s not available. He’s going to fight for the title, but we have Belal Muhammad,’” Burns recalled. “And I said, ‘Done.'”
According to “Durinho,” the winner of his fight with Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC), who is on an eight-bout winning run, will be the next challenger to face the winner of Edwards vs. Covington.
“They guaranteed us both,” Burns said. “If Belal Muhamad wins, he’s next. If I win, I’m next.”
So Burns could still get his title shot. He only needs one more victory to secure it.
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